Thermostatic water valve



Nov. 3, 1942. s. w. E. ANDERSSON 2,300,899

THERMOSTATIC WATER VALVE Filed Nov. 22. 1938 VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 3, 1942 THERMOSTATIC WATER VALVE- Sven W. E. Andersson, Evansville. Ind., assignor to Servel, Inc'., New York, N; Y., a corporation of Delaware 7 Application November 22, 1938, Serial No.- 241,748 (01. 236-93) 3 Claims.

My invention relates to thermostatic water valves and it is an object of the invention to provide a valve having improved sensitivity, as set forth in the following description and the accompanying drawing which shows in vertical cross I section a control valve embodying the invention.

The valve comprises a casing having an upper portion Ill and a lower portion II. The portions Ill and H may be formed as castings, in which case they shouldbe hot tin dipped after machining to seal the pores, or they may be formed as brass iorgi ngs.

The lower portion H of the Valve casing is prov vided centrally with a cylindrical chamber I2.

In the chamber 12 is a circumferential ledge 13. An expansible bellows I4 is located in the chamber 12. The upper end of the bellows is secured to a collar 15. The collar 15 and the bellows are secured in sealing engagement 16 with the ledge l3.v -A bushing I1 is threaded into the collar 15. A block 18 is positioned in the lower closed end of the-bellows 14. A load spring 19 is compressed within the bellows 14. One endoi .the load spring 19 bears against the block l8 and the opposite end bears against the bushing 11. A plunger 20 is located centrally within the bellows l4 and the oad spring 19. The lower end of the plunger 28 fits into a recess in the block 18. The other end of the plunger extends through a central opening in the member 11. The plunger 20 is provided with a shoulder 21 adapted to abut the bushing l1.v A small hole 22 extends through the bushing l1.. Another small hole 23 extends through the wall of the casing to theatmo'sphere.

The chamber l2 contains a volatile fluid such as ethyl chloride which is charged into the chamber outside of the bellows l4 through a tube 24. After charging, the tube 24 is sealed oil and bent into a recess 25, which is covered with a protective cap 26.

On opposite sides of chamber .12 in the lower casing II are passages 21 and 28 having threaded parts 29 and 38 for pipeconnections.

The upper portion ill of the casing is provided with passages 31 and 32'. A valve assembly is interpo'sed between passages 3| and 32. A valve assembly includes a bushing 33 having a valve seat 34, a valve member 35, and avalve stem 36 secured to the valv member35. A valve stemguide 31 is secured in the upper part of bushin 33. The opening in the lower end of bushing 33 is in line with the central opening of the valve stem guide 31. The valve stem 36 extends through the guide 31 and the opening in end of the bushing 33. This opening provides a very slight clearance around the stem 36.

A spring 38 is provided to exert closing pressure on the valve member 35. One end of the spring rests against a cupped washer 33 which fits over the valve member 35. The opposite end of the, spring 38 bears against a screw 40 which is:

threaded in an opening in the upper end of casing 10 so that it may be adjusted to vary the tension of the spring. A screw cap 41 covers. the:-

adjustment opening in the casing Ill.

The upper portion In and the lower portion. l l of the valve casing are bolted together with a diaphragm 44 between them. The diaphragm 44 is flexible and waterproof. The diaphragm 44 is provided with openings which align with, passages 21 and 3| on. one side of the casing and passages 28 and 32 on the other side of the casing.

The diaphragm 44 forms a gasket for sealing the joint between the two parts of the valve casing and the central part of the diaphragm separates chamber 41 in the upper part of the casing from the central chamber in the lower part of the casing. A solid bushing 45 is secured to the center of the diaphragm 44. On the bottom of the bushing 45 is a pin 46 which extends slidably into a central bore in the upper end of the plunger 28.

A small passage 42 in the upper casing l0 provides an opening from chamber 41 above the diaphragm 44 into the passage '32. In passage 32 is an ejector nozzle 43 which is located opposite the opening of passage 42. p h

The above described valve may be used, for instance, to control flow of cooling water for refrigeratlon apparatus-responsive to temperature of the outlet water. The outlet conduit may be connected to the valve inlet passage 21 at 23. A discharge conduit may be connected to the valve outlet passage 28 at 38.

The valve member 34 is held closed against the valve seat 33 by the force of spring 38. A relatively small flow of water enters passage 21, flows through'passage 3|, and leaks/through the space. around valve stem 36 into the chamber 41. The water flows from chamber 41 through passage 42 into passage 32 and thence through passage 28 to discharge. The diaphragm 44 forming one side of the chamber" serves to keep water out of contact with chamber" I 2, and thereby prevent corrosion of the parts therein.

fluid in chamber I2 through the walls of this chamber. Increase in temperature causes exthe lower pension of the volatile fluid in chamber l2 outside the bellows H. The inside of the bellows I4 is at atmospheric pressure due to the hole 22 in member ll, and the hole 23 in the outer wall of the casing. Due to expansion of the volatile fluid, the bellows I4 is compressed against the force of load spring l9. Compression of the bellows forces operating plunger upward against member 45 on the diaphragm 44. The movement of plunger 20 is limited by the shoulder 2| to limit compression of the bellows during charging and testing before assembly of the valve. The upward movement of plunger 20 is transmitted through the member 45 to the valve stem 36. Movement of the valve stem 36 lifts the valve member 35 from the valve seat 34, against the pressure of spring 38, thereby permitting increased water flow through the valve. The tension of spring 38 may be adjusted by means of the screw 40 to cause the valve to open at a desired water temperature. I

The increased water flow continues until the temperature of the water is reduced. The reduction in temperature is transmitted to the volatile fluid in chamber l2, causing it to contract. Upon contraction of the volatile fluid, bellows l4 expands under the tension of both springs 19 and 38, and the valve member 35 moves toward valve seat 34.

With the valve member 35 closed, the flow through the bypass chamber 41, which may be termed bypass or leakage flow, continues until the water temperature increases to a point where the above described operation of the valve is repeated. The walls of the chamber I2 are made relatively thin to permit good heat transfer therethrough, and consequent quick response of the valve to temperature changes.

The ejector 43 relieves pressure against the diaphragm 44 during increased water flow through the valve by accelerating the withdrawal of water from the bypass chamber 41 through passage 42 during such increased flow. The increased pressure above diaphragm 44 upon increase in water flow would have an adverse efiect on the sensitivity of the control so that the ejector 43 by decreasing the pressure against the diaphragm during increased Water flow, serves to improve the sensitivity of the valve.

What is claimed is:

' 1. A thermostatic water regulator comprising a casing having a passage for flow of water therethrough, a valve for controlling flow of water through said passage, said casing also having a passage for permitting limited flow of water when said valve is closed, a chamber in said casing having an opening to atmosphere, a flexible waterproof diaphragm forming a wall portion of said chamber, and a thermostat located in said chamber and said chamber being located so that the thermostat therein is subjected totemperature of water in said first passage, said thermostat being connected to said valve through said diaphragm so as to cause opening movement of said valve upon increase in temperature and closing movement of said valve upon decrease in temperature.

2. A thermostatic water regulator comprising a casing having a passage for flow of water therethrough, a valve for controlling flow of water 'through said passage, said casing also having a chamber open to atmosphere, a flexible waterproof diaphragm forming a wall portion of said.

chamber, an expansible fluid thermostat located in said chamber and said chamber being located so that the thermostat therein is subjected to temperature of water in said passage, said thermostat being connected to said valve through said diaphragm so as to cause opening movement of said valve upon increase in temperature,- and closing movement of said. valve upon decrease in temperature, said casing also having a bypass conduit for limited flow of water around said valve, said diaphragm forming a wall part of said conduit, and an ejector nozzle in said passage arranged to accelerate flow of water through said bypass conduit upon increase in rate-of water flow through said passage. v

3. A thermostatic water regulator comprising a casing provided with wall members forming 'a passage for flow of water therethrough, a valve member for controlling flow of water through said passage, said casing also having a passage permitting limited flow of water around said valve, a thermostat containing a volatile fluid and so located and arranged that a wall member of the casing serves to conduct heat in a direction normal to the plane thereof from water flowing through said passage to the volatile fluid, and'a flexible wall member so arranged between said thermostat and said valve as to keep water out of contact with the thermostat, said thermostat being connected to said valve through said flexible wall member so as to cause opening movement of the valve upon increase in temperature and closing movement of the valve upon decrease in temperature.

SVEN W. E. ANDERSSON. 

